Sanitary coupling device for pumps



June 30, 1925. x r 1,543,758

J. S. ELOFSON SANITARY COUPLING DEVICE FOR PUMPS Fil ed March 6. 1924 Patented June 30, 1925.

warren sra'rias JOHN S.- ELOFSO'N, OF HASTY, MINNESOTA.

SANITARY COUPLING DEVICE FOR PUMP-S.

Application filed March 6, 1924. Serial No. 697,269.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JOHN S. ELoFsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hasty, in the county of Wright and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Coupling Devices for Pumps; and I do hereby declare the following to, be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a coupling device for a pump or, in otherwords, a device for connecting a pump plunger to an operating means. It is common in the rural districts and other places to have a wind driven, electrical or other motor for operating the pump and also to have the ordinarypump handle equipment and it is often desired to disconnect one operating means and connect the other. This has usually required loosening nuts on a bolt or some other tedious operation, in the performance of which the hands were usually soiled by the oil and grease on the parts.

It is an object of this invention to provide a very simple and efficient device by which the pump plunger can be connected to its operating means and disconnected therefrom very quickly and easily.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device so arranged that it will not become disconnected accidentally and also one which can be manipulated without soiling the hands. It is still another object of the invention to provide such a coupling device of unitary and simple construction which can be easily kept clean andsanitary.

It is still another object of the invention to provide such a coupling device having safety means thereon further insuring that it will not accidentally be disconnected.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection withthe accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughoutthe different views, and in which,

Fig-1 is a view in side elevation of a. pump showing the plunger connected to a handle by means of said device;

Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the plunger of the pump connected to a motor-operated rod; i V

Fig. 3 is a partial view similar to Fig. 1 but shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4; is a view in front elevation, as seen from the leftof Fig. 1;

' Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line .5-5 of Fig. 3, as indicated by the arrows; and

, Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6- 6 of Fig. 8, as indicated by the arrows. 7

Referring to the drawings, the body or barrel portion of a pump is shown as 1 having mounted at its upper end the handlecarrying and plunger guiding bracket 2. Said bracket has an outwardly projecting lug to which is pivoted the lower end of the link 3 having pivoted to its upper end the handle l. The handle 4: is forked and operates at its upper end to embrace the plunger 5 of the pump, which plunger is guided in a hub 2 at the top of bracket 2 and is provided with a plurality of spaced holes 5 through any one of which and the apertures 4 in the pump handle a connection is adapted to pass to connect said plunger and handle.

The coupling device of the present invention comprises a yoke or U-shaped member 6, one sideof which is elongated and formed as a cylindrical pin 6 having its freeend tapered. The other side 6 of member 6 has its free end 6 bent downwardly substantially at a right angle. An arm 6 projects upwardly from the side 6 substantially a right angle so that it is parallel to the downturned end 6. The arm 6 is provided with a plurality of spaced holes 6 extending therethrough in any one of which is adapted to be disposed a rivetor a headed and nutted' bolt 7 which also passes through the bifurcated end ofa dog 8. The dog 8 is formed from a rectangular plate of sheet material having a slot cut in one end and its sides bent up atv each side of such slot, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6. In Fig. 2 the pump 1 with its plunger 5, is illustrated .as is a motor operated bar 9 adapted to move substantially parallel to the plunger 5 and provided with a plurality of spaced holes 9. Aclevis or fork 10 embraces the rod 9 and is adapted to be connected thereto centrally thereof and at substantially by a headed and nutted bolt 11 passing through said clevis in any one of the holes 9. Said clevis or fork 10 has a hole 1O adapted to aline with any one of the holes 5 in plunger 5 and to receive a connecting means.

In operation, the device or member 6 will be held by the end of arm 6 and said arm will be held substantially parallel with the plunger rod 5. One of the holes 5 will be brought into alinement with the holes 4? and the pin 6 will be moved through such alined holes. The pin. being tapered substantially to a point, it will not be necessary to have the holes in exact alinement and said pin will be guided through the'holes by such tapered structure. When the pin has been moved through said holes'so that the bight end of member 6 substantially contacts with the side of the handle 4, the downturned end 6 will have moved sufiiciently laterally so that if the member be released it will swing about the pin 6*. This swinging movement is caused by the weight of the arms 6 and by such swinging movement the downturned end 6 will be brought across or into alinement with the side of the plunger 5. It will now be impossible to move the pin 6 out of the alined holes in the plunger and handle as the downturned end (5 will contact the side of the plunger rod 5. The coupling will thus be prevented from accidental disengagement. In order to provide a positive means for preventing such accidental disengagement or disconnection, the dog 8 is used; It will be seen that when the arm 6 swings away from the plunger 5 that the dog 8 will swing downwardly and will engage the edge of said plunger rod, as

shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The arm 6 cannot nected to-themotor operated rod 9 through the member 10 and the connection and dis connection will. be made by the member 6 in the manner already described for thehandle 4.. Both handle. 4 and the motor-operated rod 9 are usually provided, the. handle and its parts. not being shown inFig. 2. The oil or grease used to lubricate the pin 6 and to connect the parts willbe retained at the lower end of the device. As the device can be manipulated for connection or disconnection by taking hold of the arms 6 it will not be necessary to soil the hands in this operation. Furthermore, the device is of simple and unitary construction and can be kept free from excessive accumulation of dirt and grease with little difficulty.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a very simple, ingenious and efiicient pump connection and one that can be easily operated and produced and also one that can be made with very little expense. The device has been thoroughly demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and eflicient.

It will, of course, be understood that various ch-angesimay be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the device without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carry ing out the objects above set forth, such asshown and described and defined in the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is :Q

1. A device for connecting apump plunger to an operating means comprising a Usl 1aped member having an elongated leg constituting a connecting pin for said v plunger and means, the end of the other leg ot-said member being bent downwardly substantially at right angles to said first mentioned legand adapted to be disposed at oneside oi said plungerwith the bight portionoit said U-shaped member at the other side of said. plunger, and weighted'means extending upward from the last mentioned sideot said U-shaped member.

- 2. A. coupling for a pump plunger and an operating means therefor comprising a U- shaped member, one side of which forms a connecting. pin for said plunger and means, and the other side of which has its end bent downwardly, and an arm extending upwardly from said latter side-adapted to swing. by gravity to turn said member about a longitudinal axis to bring said downwardly bent end at one side of'said plunger andswinging means carried by said arm adapted to engage said plunger.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, said side of said U-shaped member forming the connecting pin being extended an appreciable distance beyond the other side and tapered. I

4. The structure set forth in claim 2, said ,side ot said U-shaped member forming the connecting pin being extended beyond the other side and tapered, and a dog pivoted to said arm adapted to swing by gravity against said plunger and prevent said downwardly bent end from moving out of alinement with one side of said plunger.

5. A coupling member for a pump plunger and an operating means comprising a yoke, oneside of which passes through said plunger and means to connect the same, the other side of which has one end bent downwardly, weighted means projecting from said last mentioned side adapted to swing said yoke to bring said downwardly bent end across one side of said plunger, and means engaging said plunger to hold said yoke in such swung position.

6. A device for connecting a pump plunger and an operating means comprising a yoke, one side of which passes through said plunger and means to connect the same and the other side of which has its end bent downwardly, an arm extending upward from said yoke adapted to drop by gravity to swing said yoke about a longitudinal axis to bring said downwardly bent end across one side of said plunger to prevent endwise movement of said yoke, said arm having a plurality of spaced holes therethrough, and a swinging dog adapted to be disposed in any one of said holes and to engage said plunger to hold said yoke in such swung position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN S. ELOFSON. 

